A bright meteor surprised those who looked towards the sky during the early hours of Saturday, to the point that its glow could be seen despite the cloudiness that covered much of the skies.
The Caribbean Astronomy Society (SAC) confirmed that the phenomenon corresponded to an Orionid meteor, a meteor shower associated with the fragments left in its wake by the famous Halley’s Comet.
“We were able to confirm that it was an Orionid meteor, which means that what we saw was a fragment of the famous Halley’s Comet disintegrating through the atmosphere,” the organization indicated.
The car was observed at 1:48 am, while looking north. According to the SAC, the phenomenon showed a green trail and left a persistent line of smoke that was apparently intense enough to be visible even through the clouds.
Fragments of Halley’s Comet
The SAC explained that the Orionids occur when the Earth passes through an area of space where fragments and particles remain that were released by Comet 1P/Halley during its journeys around the Sun.
Halley’s Comet passed through the interior of the Solar System in 1986 and is expected to approach the Sun again in mid-2061.
In the meantime, there is still a chance to observe some Orionid meteors. According to the SAC, they could be seen until November 7, although greater activity is anticipated around October 21 and 22.
Regarding the possibility of a meteor as bright as the one observed this morning appearing again, the organization pointed out that it is not possible to predict it accurately.
Therefore, he recommended occasionally looking up at the sky starting at 11:00 pm, especially during the next few weeks, to increase the chances of observing any of these phenomena.